Harmonica



March 23 1926.

v vs. B. DUSINBERRE HARMONICA Filed May 31, 1922 lnllllflllllnl/ .am 1.a

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2LH 1n l m I a 'Il Z /5 i2 15 L12/6117597( maux/VM litil in section.

Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITE` GEORGE B. DUSINBERRE, QF ELMIRA, NEW YORK.

i" l CNICA.

Application filed 'May 31,

To all whom t may cmwemf Be it known that I, GEORGE B. DUSINBERRE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elmira, in the county of Chemung and State of New York, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in a Harmonica, of whichthe following is a full, clear, and exact description. y

This invention relates to musical instruments or' the harmonica type, and has for an object to provide an instrument which will resent a smooth surface to the mouth of t e player and 'which can be easily sterilized. A further object is t prov-ide an instrument inwhich tacks and rivets for securing the various parts lin place are eliminated.

A. further object is to provide an instrument, the body of which is formed by a mouth piece land a complementary part clamped thereto, both of which parts ,being of such form that they maybe readily cast frommetal or moulded from oneof the many synthetic 4com ounds that are available.

A further object is to provide an instrument in which the reed plates are so secured that they may be easily and quickly detached and replaced so that the original qualiy of the instrument may be maintaine Other ob'ects *willl be -a parent from the following escription an annexed drawings, orobvious to one skilled the art of iayin such instruments.

enera y speaking, the invention may be Said to comprise the elementsand combinations thereof set claims. Y

In said annexed drawings: `Fig. 'l is a perspective view et the "har-f monica with t e front or mouth engaging ed e uppermost.

' ig. Q is a erspective view of the har-v monica with e rear ed e uppermost.

Fig. 3 is a side elevatlon partly broken away to, show a portion of t ecinstrument forth in the accompanying Figs. 4 and 5 are sections on lines 44. and 5 5, respectively, of Fig. 3. K

Figs. 6 and 7 `show transverse sections through the clamping .member and mouth- /piece,`respectively.

Figs. S

through the clamping member-and mouth- 5 piece,I respectively. n

' and on Y tudinally extendin on oposite sides of and 9 show longitudinal sectionsv piece 1 and adapte assembled to receive the edges of the reed '1922.` serialno. 564,879.

Fig. 10 is a sectional view showing a modified construction.

Fig. l1 is a sectional view showing-a further modification. A

Referring to the annexed drawings, the improved harmonica consists of a pair of complementary grid forming body members l and 2 and a pair of reed plates 3 which are clamped between the two body members. The member lis the mouthpiece and the complementary meuk ber 2 serves to complete the grid structure andA each of the members 1 and 2 is provided with means for engagin the reed plates 3 to clam the same in p ace on op posite sides of tlbe grid structure.

The body member'l forming the mouthpiece has a head ortion 5 formed to provide av smooth roun ed outer mouth engaging edge and a web 6 projecting from .the inner side of the head 5. The webl 6 is and has transverse recesses extending rfrom the edge thereoif substantially to the head 5 whereby a'series oir' regularly spaced teeth 8 are provided. Jl`he head 5 is provided with longitudinal grooves 9 at the base or the web 3 opposite sides thereof, these grooves being adapted to receive the edges of the reed plates 3 when the instrument is assembled. The outer side covers l0 and ends ll of the instrument are preferably continua tions of the mouthpiece so that a smooth unbroken surface is `presented from the mouth engaging edge to the open rear' ed e. The side and end lcover portions may e integral with the head .5 or may be in the in its .preferred form' form of a ysheet'metal stamping secured by ment' is assembled, aioutlet slots or longi- 'openings are provided betweenC the free e ges of the covers 10 and the clamping member 2.

rThe clamping member Zie VLl'fshaped and has a laterally projecting headrl2 and ra central webv 13 formed with spaced teethl ld corresponding to the teeth 8A of the mouth piece l and with grooves 15 in the head l2 the web 13, corresponing to the dgrooves 9 in the mouth when the instrument is edge of the web 6 sides of the webs 6 and 13 forming t e gridv lie in the same plane so that the reed plates may lie snugly against the grid, the grid together with the reed plates forming a series of wind cells.

The abutting teeth 8 and 14 form-the partitions between the cells and the ends of the teeth, and therefore, should be in snug engagement so .that air can not leak from one cell into the adjacent cell. This may-be accomplished with flat engaging faces but it 'is considered preferable, in order to obtain a tighter joint and in'order to assist in the positioning ofthe parts in assembling, to provide a tongue and groove connection betweenthe abutting ends of the teeth. As

shown in Figs. 1 to 9 the teeth 8 are proadapted toit in y V clampin l plates clamping vided with transverse V-grooves 19 and the teeth 14 are provided with pointed ends 2O the grooves 19. The V- groove provides a greater area or contact between the abutting ends of the teeth 8 and 14 and a tighter joint at their meeting edges. The head 5 of 'the mouth piece 1 has apertures 21 formed therethrough leading to the recesses 7 between the spaced teeth 8.

In assembling the instrument the reed plates 3 are inserted in the grooves 9 of the mouth piece with their inner faces lying against the web 6. The complementary body member 2 is inserted between the end 11 and slipped down until the upper edges of the -reed plates enter into the grooves 15 of the member 2. The screws 16 are then tightened upon the head 12 of the member 2, bringing the teeth 8 and 14 into tight engagement and securely the reed plates inplace.l

In Fig. 10 of the drawing a modified form of the invention is shown. In this modification `the T-shaped mouth piece 21 has a head 22 and a toothed web 23 similar to the web of the mouth 1 in the modification first described. The head 22 of the mouth piece has reed late receiving grooves 24 on opposite si es of the web 23 and adjacent thereto outside the grooves'24 the head 22 is provided with cover plate receiving grooves 2,5 parallel'with the'grooves 24. The com- Elementary body member 26 is T-shaped and as a head 27V and a toothed web 28 corresponding to thevhead and web of the mouth piece. The head 27 of the' clamping member has reed plate grooves 29 formed therein Ialong opposite sides of the web 28 and cover plate receiving grooves 30 outside the roove-s 29 and parallel therewith.

The body members ,2l and 26 are clamped together in a manner similar to that shown in connection with lthe preferred embodiment first described and when so clamped they hold the reed plates 31 and the cover plates 32 between the heads 22 and 27 with their edges seated in the grooves 24 and 29 and 25 and 3() respectively.'

In the modification 'shown `in Fig. 11 the construction is substantially the same as that shown in Figs. 1 to 7 except that the cover 33 instead of bein integral with the head of the body mem er formi .the mouth piece, consists of`sheet metlg stamped or otherwise suitably .formed to provide a. smooth continuous surface and suitabl vsecured to the head34 of the mouth piece ody member 35.

It is not essential in any of the modiicationsv above described that both the body -members be formed with teeth, since, if desired, one of the body members may be r0- vided with teeth of sufficient length to fdrm the partitions between the cells.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. In a harmonica, a cell forming body comprised of a pair of members, each having ahead portion and a toothed web p0rtion projecting therefrom, said members being secured gagement, one of said members having aperture in the head portion thereof between the teet 2. A harmonica, comprising a pair of niembers having projecting toothed web portions and head portions, extending laterally froml the web portions, reed plates interposed between the head portions of said members on opposite sides of the webs thereof, and means for securing said-membersftogether with the teeth thereof in en agement and with said reed plates clamped between the head portions thereof. k\

3. A harmonica, comprising a pair of cell forming body members, one-of said members being apertured` and formin the mouthpiece, the other 'of said mem ers being T- shaped in cross-section and having a web portion with transverse grooves therethrou h forming spaced teeth and intervening ce l spaces, means for securing said bodyf' 12o members together' with `the apertures o the mouthpiece member registering with said cell spaces, and a pair of reed plates clamped between said members, said members having longitudinal grooves in which opposite' edges of the reed plates fit.

4. A harmonica, comprising a pair of reed plates, a pair of bod members each having a head and a-toothe web projecting therefrom and longitudinal grooves in the heads thereof at the bases of saidwebs, and means together with their teeth in en- -for clamping said body members together -forming body members, a pair of reed plates,

said body members having cell forming Web portions and lateral 'projections provided with longitudinalgrooves adapted to receive the edges of the reed plates and means for securin said body members together with the re plates clamped between said projections.

6. A harmonica, comprising a pair of cell forming body members, each having ltransverse grooves forming teeth between them and having lateral projections, the teeth of one of said members havin grooved ends and the teeth of the other 0% said members-having their end portions formed to fit in said grooves, reed plates ositioned between the lateral projectlons o one of said members and the lateral projections of the other, and means for clamping said body members together with their teeth abutting endl to end and with said reed plates clamped between said projections. f

7. In a harmonica, a pair of cell forming body members, one of said members having apertures leading to the cells and integral side fianges forming the side cover plates of the harmonica, the other of said members being clamped to said-first member'within said cover portion. p

8. A harmonica, comprising a pair of cell forming body members, said members having abutting transversely. grooved webs forming the cells, one of said members lhaving apertures leadingto the cells and portions integral therewith forming 'the side c mouth cover' lates o the harmonica, a pair 'of reed p ates and means for clamping said members together and for holding said reed plates against said webs.

9. A'harmonica, comprising a pair of cell forming `body members, one of sald members having integral cover forming side iangea,4

a web portion extendingY longitudinally between said side flanges an transversely grooved to provide teeth which form partitions'between the cells and a ertures leading to the yspaces between said teeth,.reed plates on opposite sidestof said web portion, and means for clamping the other of said body members upon the web portion of the first body member and for holding said reed plates in place.

10. A harmonica, comprising a mouth piece having a rounded edge, side flanges forming a continuous extension of said rounded edge and forming the side cover plates of the harmonica, and spaced apertures in the rounded edge portion, a cell forming strucv ture within the side flanges of said mouth piece and spaced inwardly therefrom, and means for securing said structure to said ieee. f

11. A narmonica, comprisin a mouth piece havingpintegral side and en anges forming the sides and ends of theinstrument and having spaced apertures from end to end, cell formmg parts Within 'the side and end fiangesof the mouth.' piece, said apertures communicating with the cells,'and clamping means for-*securing said cell forming parts in place.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto aiiix my signature.

GEORGE B. DUSINBERRE. 

